Garment with free-action under bodice



' J. M. ETTIEN ET AL GARMENT WITH FREE-ACTIQN UNDER BODICE May 22, 1951 Filed Aug. 2; 1949 I N V EN TOR-5 JOSE PH/NE f7, ETT/E/v L CL A G VOA, KEN -A TTOPNEY- Patented May 22, 1951 GARMENT WITH FREE-ACTION UNDER BODICE Josephine M. .Ettien and Lola. G. Yoakem, Los Angeles, .Calif.,.assigncrs of one-third to Peter N. Simon, .Jr., Santa Monica, Calif.

Application August 2, 1949, Serial No. 108,068

7 Claims.

This invention relates to garments for wear during recreational or athleticactivities or any wear where freedom of action and comfort is desired. The invention is particularly directed to a ladies garment and is adaptable to garments for tennis playing, bowling, and other sports where a high degree of body movement is involved.

In general, the invention contemplates a garment including an open-sided outer bodice sec tion of jumper form and an under bodice section of blouse form,.having sleeves .(or armholes) the two sections being entirely separate from each other between the shoulders and the. waist line. The under bodice embodies portions of stretchable material which are positioned so as to be covered and protected by the outer bodice. The exposed portions of the under bodice, together with the remainder ofthe garment (outer bodice and skirt) are of a different material (which in most instances will be less stretchable than the central portion of the under bodice). Thus it is possible to select, for the exposed portions of the garment, a material lending itself more readily to styling, or a material capable of being more readily pressed or holding a press longer, or being more durable, than the aforesaid stretchable material. The stretchable portion of the under bodice connects the arm portions of the under bodice in a manner permitting maximum freedom of shoulder and arm movement, andthe outer bodice, being completely free of attachment to the under bodice between the shoulders and the waist, offers no resistance to such freedom of shoulder and arm movement.

We are aware that there have been many prior proposals for garments intended for facilitating body movement, embodying flexible inserts of various shapes, sizes and location. However, such prior proposals are directed to the employment of flexible inserts directly connecting the several sections of a garment (such as a blouse or jacket) in which the flexible and relatively inflexible sections form a continuous garment Wall, usually an exposed one, and, so far as we are aware, inno case has there been employed an under bodice including flexible sections for freedom of shoulder action, covered and protected by an outer bodice which is substantially free of attachment to the under bodice except at the waistline.

With the foregoing in mind, our invention has as an object to provide a garment affording maximum freedom of. body movement, especially shoulder and arm. movement. A further ob- Ill ject is to provide such a garment which provides maximum comfort to the wearer. Another object is to provide a garment having a high degree of action freedom derived partly from flexible sections of a material different than the material of the remainder of the garment, but in which the entire garment may present an attractive uniformity of appearance of the exposed fabric, with flexible sections concealed. A further object is to provide such a garment an overall attractiveness of design and appearance. Anther object is to provide such a garment which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

Other objects will become apparent in-the ensuing specifications and appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a garment embodying our invention, worn by a tennis player in action;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a bowling dress embodying our invention;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the top portion of the garment with the front and back panels of the outer bodice spread open to illustrate the under bodice;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a front View of the under bodice and showing other portions of the garment in cross section;

Fig. 5 isa sectional view of the garment taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the sleeve of the garment.

As examples of garments embodying the invention, I have shown in Fig. 1' a tennis garment and in Fig. 2 a bowling dress, the former embodying shorts Hi and the latter a skirt H1" having front and side pleats I! and i2 respectively (giving freedom of action in the skirt). Each garment includes-a top portion comprising generally an under bodice i3 and an outer bodice M. It is to be understood that the invention also may be embodied in a blouse or jacket having no skirt or other lower garment portion attached thereto.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the under bodice i3 is constructed primarily in three sections including a central section [5 of stretchable material joining two side sections it of a different material (which may be the same as the material. of the skirt H1 or ill and the outer bodice it). As an example of materials that maybe satisfactorily used, the central section !.5 may be of av jersey material and the remainder of the garment may be of gabardine or any other suitable garment material. Seams ll connect the central section IE to the side IS. The central section 15 includes front and back panels 18 and i9 (Fig. 5) joined by web portions 20 which cooperate with similar web portions 2| of the side pieces it to define shoulder parts in the under bodice. Between the shoulder parts is a neck opening 22.

The respective ends of the central section l5 are secured, together with corresponding ends of the side sections [6, to the skirt l9 (Hl) along a waist band 23. Attached to side sections it are sleeves 29.

The outer bodice 14 includes a front panel 2d (Fig. 5) and a back panel 25 joined by shoulder parts 26. The outer bodice also includes a conventional collar 21. Under bodice shoulder parts 20, 2| are attached, as by tacking 28, to the shoulder parts '26 of the outer bodice. While these points of attachment may be optionally omitted, they do provide the advantage of hold ing the under bodice and outer bodice against relative movement at the shoulders.

The central section I5 is completely covered by the panels 24, 25 of the outer bodice Hi. Thus the jersey or other stretchable material of central section I5 is concealed from view so that externally the garment may appear to be entirely of one material Fig. 1 illustrates how the under bodice may slide laterally with reference to the panels 26, 25 of the outer bodice l4 when the body is twisted by shoulder rotation as in the making of a stroke in a tennis game. The same rotation of the shoulders with reference to the waist is characteristic of the body motion in delivering a bowling ball. Since there is no point of attachment between under bodice l3 and outer bodice I4 between the waist and the shoulders, the under bodice is perfectly free to slide back and forth with reference to the outer bodice M, thus permitting the body to have complete freedom of swing. Not only does the garment eliminate binding and restraint of the body, but it also eliminates damaging stresses and strains on the fabric and seams of the garment. Style and attractiveness of appearance are enhanced by the fact that the outer bodice 14 may have a V-type neck opening 30 which will be closed from beneath by the upper front portion of the under bodice M.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the outer bodice It tapers downwardly from the shoulders to the waist, along lines which may parallel those of the sides of under bodice I 3. The visual efiect is both stylish and attractive. The separateness of the blouse and under bodice, as viewed from the front, is minimized insofar as appearance is concerned.

It will be understood that instead of the attached skirt ID or ID, the lower part of the garment may be entirely separate from the top portion, and a separate skirt, or a pair of slacks, may be worn therewith.

We claim:

1. A garment comprsing: an outer bodice of 'jumper form including a front panel, a back panel, shoulder portions joining said panels, and a collar and an under bodice of blouse form comprising a central stretchable section having front and rear panels and shoulder portions connecting the same, and side sections having arm openings and shoulder portions, said side members being joined to said stretchable section along lines extending from said shoulder portions to the lower extremity of said under bodice, said outer and under bodices being secured together at the waist of the garment and being unattached between said waist and shoulder portions.

2. A garment comprising: an outer bodice of jumper form including front and rear panels, shoulder portions joining said front and rear panels and a collar having a neck opening extending into said front panel, said front and rear panels having open sides converging downwardly from said shoulder portions to their lower extremities; and an'under bodice of blouse form including a central stretchable section comprising front and back panels conforming generally in shape but somewhat narrower than said outer bodice panels, and side sections of different material secured to the margins of said stretchable front and rear panels, said side sections having sleeves and shoulder portions, said outer and under bodices being secured together at the waist of the garment and being unattached between said waist and shoulder portions, the side portions of said under bodice extending outwardly through the open sides of said outer bodice and being completely free of attachment to said outer bodice from said points of shoulder attachment to said lower extremities.

3, A garment comprising: an outer bodice of jumper form includingfront and rear panels, shoulder portions joining said panels, and a collar having a neck opening in said front panel and having open sides converging downwardly from said shoulder portions to the lower extremity thereof; and an under bodice having a stretchable central section including front and back panels, shoulder portions joining the same, and having a neck opening between said shoulder portions, said under bodice-further including side sections joined to the margins of said stretchable panels and having arm openings therein, said side sections and all of said outer bodice being of a material differing from said stretchable section, said under bodice having its lower forward and rear portions secured to the lower extremities of the respective panels of said outer bodice to form a waist and having said side sections projecting outwardly through the open sides of said outer bodice and free of attachment to said outer bodice between said shoulder portions and lower extremities, and having said stretchable central portion concealed between the panels of said outer bodice, said stretchable central section having its respective panels shaped to conform to the shape of but slightly narrower than the panels of the 'outer bodice.

4. A garment comprising: an outer bodice of jumper form including front and rear panels, shoulder portions joining said panels and a collar having a neck opening in said front panel; and an under bodice of blouse form including front and rear panels of stretchable material, shoulder portions joining said panels, and side sections joined to the margins of said stretchable panels, said side portionshaving arm openings, the lower front and rear extremities of said under bodice being attached to the lower extremities of said outer bodice panels to form a waist, said side sections of the under bodice projecting out through the open sides of said outer bodice and being of a material different from said stretchable material. I

5. A garment comprising: an outer bodice of jumper form including front and back panels, shoulder portions joining said panels and a collar having a neck opening in said front panel; and an under bodice including a stretchable central section comprising front and rear panels and shoulder portions joining the same, with a neck opening defined between said shoulder portions,

and side sections joined to the margins of said front and rear under bodice panels, said side sections having arm openings and shoulder portions attached to the shoulder portions of the outer bodice said under bodice having its lower forward and rear portions attached to the lower extremities of the outer bodice panels and having said side sections projecting through the open sides of said outer bodice and free of attachment thereto between said shoulder portions and said lower extremities.

6. A garment comprising an outer bodice of jumper form including front and back panels, shoulder portions joining said panels and a collar having a neck opening in said front panel, said outer bodice having open sides extending from said shoulder portions to the lower extremities of said panels; and an under bodice of blouse form having horizontal stretchability, said under bodice having its lower forward and rear portions attached to the lower extremities of said outer panels to form a waist and having its side portions projecting laternally through the open sides of said outer bodice and free of attachment thereto between said shoulder portions and lower extremities whereby to provide freedom of lateral movement of the under bodice between said panels of the outer bodice.

'7. A garment comprising an outer bodice of jumper form including front and back panels, shoulder portions joining said panels and a collar having a neck opening in said front panel, said outer bodice having open sides extending from said shoulder portions to the lower extremities of said panels; and an under bodice of blouse form, said under bodice having its lower forward and rear portions attached to the lower extremities of said outer panels to form a waist and having its side portions projecting laterally through the open sides of said outer bodice and free of attachment thereto between said shoulder portions and lower extremities whereby to provide freedom of lateral movement of the under bodice between said panels of the outer bodice.

JOSEPHINE M. ETTIEN.

LOLA G. YOAKEM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

